Skip to main content    

**2023 RUIA Tax Forms Available in myRRB - Read More...**

## Search

Search

**myRRB**

  

- Our Agency   - Agency Overview
  - Office of the Chairman     - Chairman
    - Chairman Staff Directory
  - Office of the Labor Member     - Labor Member of the Board
    - Labor Member Staff Directory
    - Pre-Retirement Seminars
    - Educational Materials
    - Questions and Answers
  - Office of the Management Member     - Management Member of the Board
    - Management Member Staff Directory
  - Office of Inspector General     - Office of Inspector General
    - Audit
    - Investigations
    - Hotline to Report Fraud, Waste and Abuse
    - Library
    - Whistleblower Protection Information
  - Organization Chart
- Benefits   - Retirement     - General Information
    - Downloadable Forms
    - myRRB
  - Survivor     - General Information 
    - Downloadable Forms
    - myRRB
  - Disability     - General Information
    - Downloadable Forms
    - myRRB
  - Unemployment     - General Information
    - Downloadable Forms
    - myRRB
  - Sickness     - General Information
    - Downloadable Forms
    - myRRB
  - Income Tax     - General Information
    - Downloadable Forms
    - myRRB
  - Medicare     - General Information
    - myRRB
  - En Español
  - myRRB
- Employers   - Employer Online Services     - ERSNet Login
    - EFTPS.gov
    - Pay.gov
  - Forms     - Rail 
    - Labor
  - Reporting Instructions     - Rail 
    - Labor 
    - Creditable Sickness
  - Publications     - Employer Exchange Newsletter
    - Program and Circular Letters 
    - Additional Information
- Resources   - Railroad Jobs
  - Legal Information     - Board Orders
    - The Federal Register 
    - Legal Opinions and Board Coverage Decisions
    - Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities
    - Administrative Staff Manuals Index
  - Pay Debts Online
  - Office of Equal Opportunity     - Overview
    - EEO Policies
    - Filing A Complaint of Discrimination
    - No FEAR Act 
    - Frequently Asked Questions
  - RRBVision Video Library
  - Appeals
  - Railroad Retirement Handbook
  - FOIA Reading Room
  - Glossary of RRB Terms
- Financial & Reporting   - Agency Reports     - Inventories
    - Plans
    - Reports
  - Financial, Actuarial & Statistical     - Budget and Financial Reports: Current and Projected
    - Performance and Accountability Reports
    - Earnings Limits, Tax Rates and COLAs
    - Annual
    - Monthly & Quarterly RRA and RUIA Data
  - National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust     - NRRIT Introduction
    - Background Information
    - Reports
    - Correspondence
- Newsroom   - News Releases
  - Media Contact
- Field Office Locator
- FAQ

  

  

  

              -  Home 
              -  Employee Disability Benefits  
              -  About Your Disability Annuity 
              -                   How Work Can Affect Your Disability Annuity Payments              

## Topics

-  General Information 
-  About Your Disability Annuity    -  Occupational Disability Annuity 
  -  Total and Permanent Disability Annuity 
  -  When Your Disability Annuity Can Begin 
  -  How Work Can Affect Your Disability Annuity Payments 
  -  A Conviction Due to a Criminal Offense Can Affect Your Annuity 
  -  When Your Disability Annuity Could End 
-  About Your Period of Disability ("Disability Freeze") 
-  Applying for Early Medicare Coverage 
-  Events That Can Affect Your Disability Benefits 
-  Glossary 

 

Work and earnings can affect the payment of your annuity and must be reported promptly to the RRB in order to avoid potential overpayments and penalties. The following describes the effect of work on your benefit payments.

**A. Work in the Railroad Industry**

Your annuity cannot be paid for any month that you work in the railroad industry.

**B. Work for Your Last Nonrailroad Employer**

Your Tier II and supplemental annuity, if any, are subject to deductions for earnings from your last nonrailroad employer. The deduction is $1 for each $2 in earnings not to exceed 50% of these components.

**C. Work for any Employer**

**Note:** Section C refers to disability earnings limits.  Refer to Form AB-31, *How Work Affects Your Disability Annuity*, for the current disability earnings limits.
                        - Earnings of more than the disability earnings limit from Any Work -  If you are under  "full retirement age" , your annuity cannot be paid for any month you do any work and earn over the disability earnings limit*.
                        - Earnings -  Earnings include wages before payroll deductions, commissions, and other payments for work (such as room and board) and net earnings from self-employment.
                        - Penalties for Late Reports -  If your earnings are greater than the disability earnings limit* for a month, and you do not report it to us within two months, you will be penalized.	                           - The first time that you report late, the penalty is one month's annuity.
                          - The second time that you report late, the penalty is one month's annuity for each month you earned over the disability earnings limit. 
                        - End-of-the-Year Adjustment -  If your annuity was adjusted because you reported earnings over the disability earnings limit*, we will send you a form after the end of the calendar year on which to report your earnings. Annuity payments that have been withheld will be paid if you earned less than the disability earnings maximum*.	                           - If you earned more than the disability earnings maximum*, you will not be entitled to an annuity for some months; the number depends on how much you earned.
                          - Penalties for late reports can be applied to end-of-year adjustments if they were not already assessed during the year the excess earnings occurred. 

**Note:** These disability work restrictions cease upon a disabled employee annuitant's attainment of full retirement age, when the annuitant becomes subject to the work and earnings restrictions applicable to employee annuities based on age and service. This transition is effective no earlier than full retirement age even if the annuitant had 30 years of service.

* When determining if you have worked over the disability earnings limit/maximum, you must first deduct any impairment-related work expenses from your earnings.  Impairment-related work expenses include special expenses you paid for items or services you needed in order to work (see the definition for Impairment)

**D. Substantial Gainful Activity**

Substantial gainful activity is (in general) work which results in earnings. (Refer to Form AB-31, *How Work Affects Your Disability Annuity*).  It also refers to work activity involving the performance of significant physical or mental duties, or a combination of both, which are productive in nature. If you work and are receiving an annuity based on total and permanent disability, or if you have a period of disability or early Medicare, you may be subject to a finding of substantial gainful activity.

**E. Work May Raise a Question About Your Condition**

Until you reach full retirement age, your work and earnings will be evaluated to see if you are able to do "regular work". Also, any work performed after your disability annuity begins may raise a question about "medical recovery" regardless of the amount of your earnings. If this happens, you will be asked for additional information about your medical condition and we may request that you be examined.

In any case, all work and earnings by a disability annuitant must be reported promptly to the RRB in order to avoid potential overpayments and penalties.

   

**‹** When Your Disability Annuity Can Begin
Up
A Conviction Due to a Criminal Offense Can Affect Your Annuity **›**

   

Acrobat ReaderAdobe's Access Website

**Railroad Jobs**

**Fraud Hotline**

**Field Office Locator**

 

(877) 772-5772
(312) 751-4701 
(312) 751-4300

 
Privacy PolicyPolicies & LinksSite MapContact UsRRB CareersWebsite Feedback

 
PlainLanguage.govData.govBenefits.govUSA.govRRB @ Data.govVote.gov

 
Freedom of Information ActNo FEAR Act DataOffice of Special CounselPlain Writing @ RRBOpen Gov @ RRBOffice of Inspector General

								Last updated: 09/22/2021